The verb to see · Conjugation
Present Simple of see
The answer: see / sees
A1
Habits, routines and facts that are always true.
Quick answer
The Present Simple of the verb to see is see / sees.
Example: I see a bird in the tree.
Full conjugation in the Present Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | see |
| You | see |
| He / She / It | sees |
| We | see |
| You (pl.) | see |
| They | see |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. He see ❌
With he, she and it, use sees, not see. He sees the difference, never he see the difference.
2. I am seeing a bird ❌
Verbs of the senses (see, hear, smell) usually don't take -ing when they mean what your eyes, ears or nose notice. I see a bird ✓, never I am seeing a bird. Exception: I'm seeing the doctor means I have an appointment.
3. I see TV ❌
Three different verbs! See = your eyes notice something. Look at = you choose to turn your eyes to something. Watch = you follow something that moves, for some time. Say watch TV, never see TV.
Practice quiz
Going further
The English contest tests the Present Simple of see in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Practise on PLAYMaster the Present Simple of see when you speak, not just on paper
The conjugation is clear in your head. On PLAY, you practise it in a game, with instant feedback, until it comes out on its own.
Practise the Present Simple of see on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Present Simple of see, and you follow each student
The Academy has self-marking activities on this form, with a dashboard for each student: you see at a glance who is falling behind.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate see in the present simple?+
Use see with I, you, we and they (I see the problem). Use sees with he, she and it (She sees her cousins every summer). For the third person, just add -s.
What is the difference between see, look and watch?+
See: your eyes notice something (I see a bird). Look (at): you choose to turn your eyes to something (Look at this picture). Watch: you look at something for some time (watch TV, watch the match). They are three different verbs, so choose carefully.
Can you say I am seeing?+
When see means to notice with your eyes, it is a state verb (a verb for a state, not an action), so it does not take -ing. Say I see a bird, not I am seeing a bird. But I'm seeing the doctor ✓ is correct: here see means to meet someone or to have an appointment.
How do you say that you understand with see?+
Say I see to mean "OK, I understand". It is very common in conversation: Oh, I see! This meaning is as common as the meaning with your eyes.
How do you make a question with see in the present simple?+
Use do or does + subject + see (base form): Do you see the difference? Does she see her grandparents often? What do they see? The helping verb do / does carries the tense, so see does not change.
Related pages: see Present Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/see/present
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to see are coming soon.